In the years since their original disbanding, the group has reunited in various incarnations, mostly involving Dolenz, Tork and Jones, but not Nesmith. The first reunion began in 1986 and at first featured only Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork. Davy Jones joined the others and a new album was released before they split again in 1989.
The next regrouping took place between 1993 and 1997 and featured a new album that included the particpation of all four members. A further reunion between 2001 and 2002, was followed by another reunion in 2011 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the television show. This reunion was cut short before 2011 had ended due to scheduling problems with the anniversary tour.
The unexpected death of Davy Jones at the beginning of 2012 prompted the most recent reunion tour, this time featuring Dolenz, Tork and Nesmith.
Created by producers of a TV series to be an American Beatles, the antics of the Monkees band members on the television series were very reminscent of Beatles' antics in films like 'Help' and 'Hard Day's Night'. Indeed, in songs like 'Forget that Girl...', the band and even the lead singer could sound just like the Beatles. With songs provided by Don Kirshner from such writers as Neil Diamond and Carole King, among others, the Monkees were assured of pop success. However, in the beginning, the four group members were hired only as actors to front the band and to provide the vocals whilst studio musicians recorded the backing music. These recordings were provided by Kirshner. Things changed though after the success of the single Last Train to Clarksville, the first hit, leading to demands that the band play live gigs. Having learned to play the music, the band became angry when the second LP was recorded (by Kirshner) by studio musicians, without their knowledge or musical input. They therefore demanded and obtained control of the music.
Nesmith who revealed that the band did not perform on their records was also instrumental in getting Don Kirshner sacked. the next album Headquarters was recorded by The Monkees alone, using hand picked producer Chip Douglas. While not as successful as their first two albums it made it to number one, only to be replaced a week later by The Beatles' Sgt Pepper album. The Monkees eventually settled on a formula of using their own talents as well as those of studio musicians. After two seasons the network and the group could not reach agreement on the format of a third season and the show was canceled even though the ratings were still high. A feature film named Head co-written by The Monkees, Jack Nicholson and Bob Rafelson) followed.
Peter Tork was the first to leave the band, in 1968, during 1969 The TV show went into Saturday morning reruns and the three remaining Monkees recorded two more albums. in 1969 Nesmith departed and began a serious foray into merging country and rock music. He also eventually developed a format that became MTV. By the way his mother invented a product called Liquid Paper, sold it to the Gillette Company for $47 million dollars then died a year later leaving the money to her only son. The remaining two Monkees Dolenz and Jones recorded one last album named Changes in late 1969.
There has, however, been a resurgent interest in The Monkees' music Rhino Records has been instrumental in restoring all their albums, adding bonus tracks, and equipping them with complementary liner notes and stories.
Davy Jones died on February 29, 2012 in Indiantown, Florida.
Peter Tork died on February 21, 2019, at his home in Mansfield, Connecticut.
Michael Nesmith died on December 10, 2021, in Carmel Valley, California.
DISCOGRAPHY (from www.themonkees.net):
The Monkees (1966)
More of The Monkees (1967)
Headquarters (1967)
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. (1967)
The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (1968)
Head (1968)
Instant Replay (1969)
The Monkees Present (1969)
Changes (1970)
Then & Now...The Best of the Monkees (1986)
Pool It! (1987)
Live 1967 (1987)
Justus (1996)
Good Times! (2016)
It's My Life
The Monkees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's my life and it's time that I learned how
No excuses. For the truth is
It's my life now
I stumble and I fall
And I think about it all
Then I make amends
And I've just begun to wonder why
And I listen to the songs,
And I read all the words,
And I seem to remember something that I heard
Of a fire and a cave and shadows on the wall
It's my life and I'm takin' over now
It's my life and it's time that I learned how
No excuses. For the truth is
It's my life now
I want to believe in the miracles
But they mix me up. Then they pass the cup
And I've just begun to look the other way
And I don't want to lean on the stars or on the dreams
On the fantasies or the deities
Don't I think it's time to lean on me?
It's my life and I'm takin' over now
It's my life and it's time that I learned how
No excuses. For the truth is
It's my life now
No excuses. For the truth is
It's my life now
The Monkees’ song It’s My Life is a song about taking control of one’s own life, and learning from one’s experiences, even the difficult ones. The singer asserts their agency, saying “It’s my life and I’m takin’ over now,” and emphasizes that it’s time to “learn how” to be in control of their life. The idea of taking ownership is repeated throughout the song, with the refrain “No excuses. For the truth is it’s my life now.” The lyrics connect personal growth and self-understanding to the larger process of learning and knowing, as the singer explains that they “listen to the songs” and “read all the words” as they “wonder why.”
The second verse echoes this idea, as the singer expresses frustration with the confusion caused by belief in miracles and reliance on external influences. They want to “lean on me”, suggesting that they have learned to trust themselves and their own experiences. The final chorus emphasizes the idea of taking ownership, urging the listener to understand that there are “No excuses” for not taking control.
Line by Line Meaning
It's my life and I'm takin' over now
I am in charge of my life and I am taking control
It's my life and it's time that I learned how
It's time for me to take responsibility and learn how to live my own life
No excuses. For the truth is
I won't make any excuses because the truth is
It's my life now
My life belongs to me and no one else
I stumble and I fall
I make mistakes and have setbacks
And I think about it all
I reflect on my mistakes and think about them a lot
Then I make amends
I try to make things right by apologizing or fixing my mistakes
But it never ends
Mistakes and setbacks are a part of life and never truly go away
And I've just begun to wonder why
I am starting to question the reasons behind my mistakes and setbacks
And I listen to the songs,
I turn to music for comfort and inspiration
And I read all the words,
I read books and other writings to gain new perspectives and knowledge
And I seem to remember something that I heard
I recall a message or idea that I found meaningful
Of a fire and a cave and shadows on the wall
I remember a story or metaphor about perception and reality
I want to believe in the miracles
I hope for miracles and positive change
But they mix me up. Then they pass the cup
I am confused and unsure when miracles or positive change do happen to me
And I've just begun to look the other way
I am starting to avoid putting my faith in external forces and instead seek inner strength
And I don't want to lean on the stars or on the dreams
I don't want to rely on luck or wishful thinking to guide my life
On the fantasies or the deities
I don't want to base my beliefs on unrealistic or supernatural ideas
Don't I think it's time to lean on me?
I think it's time to rely on my own capabilities and decisions
No excuses. For the truth is
I won't make any excuses because the truth is
It's my life now
My life belongs to me and no one else
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Words
A good and catchy song by The Monkees.
Philip Kassabian
on D.W. Washburn
A good song by The Monkees.
Philip Kassabian
on Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere
A good song by The Monkees.
Philip Kassabian
on That Was Then, This Is Now
This is a great Monkees song.
Philip Kassabian
on Last Train to Clarksville
A good Monkees song.
Philip Kassabian
on A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You
An excellent Monkees song.
Philip Kassabian
on Daydream Believer
A great Monkees song.
Philip Kassabian
on I'm a Believer - 2006 Remaster
This song is amazing.
Philip Kassabian
on Listen to the Band
Yet another classic song by The Monkees.
Philip Kassabian
on Pleasant Valley Sunday
I've always loved this song ever since I heard it when I was a kid.